Detroit Zoo's economic impact: $100M, down slightly from past year

The Detroit Zoo had a $100.2 million economic impact on metro Detroit in 2013, according to a study released today.

That is down slightly from the $104.6 million economic impact the zoo reported in 2012.

The results of the study, conducted by Texas-based Conventions, Sports & Leisure International, were based on actual financial and visitor information.

Key findings of the 2013 report were:

The zoo supports $14.2 million in wages and benefits and 1,082 full- and part-time jobs.

There were 1.3 million visitors to the zoo last year — a 17-year high.

Of those visitors, more than 40 percent came from outside Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, St. Clair and Lapeer counties, and accounted for about $25.2 million in off-site spending on dining, lodging, fuel and other purchases.

More than 25,000 students attended the zoo’s educational programs, and around 145,000 students visited the zoo for field trips, camps, overnights and family programs.

The Detroit Zoo is home to more than 2,600 animals. In the next five years, the zoo plans to spend $50 million on new exhibits, including the Polk Penguin Conservation Center, expected to open in 2015.